Morgan Creek Golf and Country Club

Take the trip while you can.

Morgan Creek Golf and Country Club in Roseville features pristine fairways, great variety and plenty of challenges from five sets of tees.

It also is a private facility. The good news (for you, not the course) is that it opened just last fall, so there aren't enough members ... yet ... to fill all the tee times.

As a result, the course is offering public play seven days a week, for a limited time. Monday is the primary public-play day, as required by the course's use permit with the city of Roseville, but a few times are open the other six days of the week.

The huge tracts of huge homes going in mean this course's membership should fill up pretty quickly, but for now, it's not too crowded. And the homes are far enough off the course that they aren't a nuisance.

You'll find a tough test from almost any distance. The course is the longest in the area from the black tees, a whopping 7,303 yards with a wicked 75.6 rating and a 143 slope.

Give yourself a break and have some fun. The white-tee distance is a much more manageable 6,186 yards, but still a challenge at a 70.5 rating with a 131 slope.

The course features plenty of mature oak trees, big bunkers, lots of waste bunkers, a healthy amount of water and undulating greens. But there are some birdies out there.

In short, this course will be packed when word gets out, so go now.

Your test starts as it should, with a gentle, straightaway par-4. Miss left if you miss on your approach, because the huge bunker on the right will swallow up balls. The green has two distinct swales, just an example of what awaits throughout the course.

The second is another solid par-4, but one where birdie is possible.

No. 3 is a quirky little par-5 that bends right and then left at the end, so don't get confused if you drive for the fat (left) part of the fairway and then wonder where the green is ... it's behind the trees on the left.

The split fairway is a common theme on the par-5s. Get over the weirdness of rough in the middle of the fairway and play it as a three-shot 5.

Huge bunkers waste areas protect No. 4, a short par-3 that looks more intimidating than it is. The par-3s all are relatively short, but trouble awaits if your irons go astray. Just play for the middle of the green on all of them.

No. 5 is the toughest hole on the course, and the longest par-4 on the front side.

It also starts a tough 4-5-3 combination at Nos. 5, 6 and 7. The sixth is a long 5 that has bunkers and ridges running through the fairway. The seventh is a par-3 over water that plays longer than it looks.

Fairway bunkers again are the theme on Nos. 8 and 9, and the approach at the ninth will test your desire to challenge the water on the left.

The back side is on the other side of Morgan Creek, and features more water but fewer trees.

The split fairway on the par-5 10th may leave you scratching your head, but hug the water on the left and birdie is possible. The 11th is the longest par-4 on the track, with water, bunkers and a spine of rough in the fairway.

But the course lets up a little after that. Birdies await at the par-3 12th, the short par-4 13th and the par-4 15th.

Finish up with a pair of par-4s that play shorter than they appear, including the picturesque 18th that has water on the left, trees on the right and bunkers all over the place.

Positives abound here, including variety and great conditions, as well as simple beauty. The greens are fast but true, and surprisingly receptive for a course this new.

And the price ... Morgan Creek originally offered limited public play for $90 during the week and $110 on weekends, but has lowered those fees to a solid $49 during the week and $59 on weekends in order to get the word out.

The negatives are minimal, and grow out of the course's commitment to give you unobstructed views of the layout.

There are no ball washers, so bring a towel and wet it down to keep your ball clean ... a minor point, to be sure, but you do need a clean ball.

Signage is minimal on the course for the same reason. Officials plan to put signs in for the first and 10th holes, but that's about all.

Fortunately, the layout goes green-to-tee, so there isn't much confusion (just remember, No. 10 is across the bridge). The tee boxes also have brass plaques in the ground for the NCGA yardage markers, so check your scorecard if there's any doubt.

Better yet, drop the $3 for a quality yardage book, which includes a map of the layout, as well as distances to all the bunkers and other hazards.

And don't dawdle, because this track won't be available for long.

Directions - Take Interstate 80 east to Roseville. Take the Riverside Avenue exit and loop over the freeway. Turn left on Cirby Way, right on Foothills Boulevard, and left on Vineyard. Turn left on Morgan Creek Lane.